Return of the Watcher
by MoonWiccan6
Summary: Sequel to ‘A New Watcher’. Quentin Travers believes that a one-legged Slayer is a liability and he plans to do something about it.
1. The Watcher

Title: Return of the Watcher

Author: Ripper's Girl

Rating: FRM (mature persons)

Spoilers: AU season 6

Disclaimer: BTVS belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, FOX, etc. I'm just borrowing them to have a little fun.

Feedback: My name is Kristin and I am a feedbackaholic.

Summary: Sequel to 'A New Watcher'. Nigel goes back to England and convinces Quentin that a one-legged Slayer is a liability to the Council.

Pairings: B/G, W/T, X/A

Note: Thanks to Trinity for the idea for the title

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Nigel walked stiffly through Council Headquarters well aware that wherever he went, people stared. He didn't blame them; he would have stared, too. He had a black eye and a swollen lip. He also had to walk very slowly so as not to jar the broken ribs that he had. By the time he reached Quentin's office, Nigel was gasping for breath. He didn't bother knocking; he just opened the door and made for a chair.

Quentin looked up from his desk, ready to tell off whoever it was for not knocking, when he saw that it was Nigel. "Nigel, what the hell happened to you?" Quentin cried. "And why aren't you in Sunnydale?" He paused for a minute but continued before Nigel had a chance to speak, "Did our lovely Miss Summers finally go to her eternal reward?"

Nigel, having finally caught his breathe, looked sourly at him and said, "Unfortunately, Miss Summers is still very much alive. The reason I look like this and the reason that I'm not in Sunnydale are one and the same." He paused for effect before saying, "Rupert Giles."

"What?" Quentin exploded. "I thought that idiot was here in England."

"Apparently he found out about me and went to Sunnydale," Nigel replied. "He got there, kicked my arse, and told me to stay away from his Slayer. Now, what are we going to do about him?"

Quentin contemplated this for a moment. What would hurt Rupert the most? A smile began to spread across his face. "Well, he can't be a Watcher if he has nothing to watch."

"What?" Nigel asked, confused.

"A disabled Slayer is a liability that we just can't have," Quentin answered. "You tried to train her, what do you think?"

Nigel smiled as he understood where Quentin was going with all of this. "Quite right, sir," he replied. "She cannot be trained and will only serve in getting those around her killed."

"Well, then," Quentin said. "We will have to deal with Miss Summers immediately." The two of them laughed and set to work.


	2. The Father

Buffy woke up disoriented. Her pillow was hard and, for some reason, her bed felt as lumpy as the couch. As her thinking cleared, she realized that she *was* on the couch and her "pillow" was actually Giles. She smiled to herself. This was perfect. Waking up in Giles' arms felt so right.

Since Giles had decided to move back, things had settled into a routine. Buffy could now walk reasonable well so her therapy at the hospital had been cut down to three days a week - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Giles didn't want Buffy pushing herself too hard so he trained her with her prosthetic on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sundays were her day off. On the days she had therapy, Giles decided to train her to fight with her crutches. Giles and Xander had actually made her special crutches. When you pressed a button, the top would come off with a stake on the end.

Giles and Buffy had gone out one night to test them, bringing Spike along for back up. They had come upon three vampires early on. Buffy managed to stake one, but her momentum carried her to the ground. Giles and Spike made quick work of the other two and took Buffy home to clean up her cuts and bruises. Now she was working on keeping her balance while on crutches.

Buffy had been surprised when her father had started calling every weekend. He would talk with her and Dawn and he sent them a check every week to help with the bills. He had even invited them to go stay with him for a weekend. Dawn had gone, but at the time Nigel had refused to let Buffy go. Buffy was still angry with herself for letting Nigel treat her the way he had. She shook that thought off though. Giles was her Watcher again. Anyways, she was more worried about the conversation she had had with her dad yesterday.

{flashback}

"Hey, dad," Buffy said, trying to hold the phone with her shoulder while she finished painting her nails.

"Hey, honey, guess what?" Hank said sounding excited.

"What, dad?" Buffy asked, trying to screw the cap back onto the bottle of nail polish.

"I got a few days off of work so I thought I'd drive down on Friday and spend a long weekend with you and Dawnie," Hank announced, sounding pleased with himself.

Shocked, Buffy dropped the bottle of nail polish. "Shit!" she cried as she watched the metallic blue liquid spread across her bedspread. She dropped the phone, grabbed some tissues, and tried to stop it from spreading. She could hear her dad calling her, asking her if she was all right. Giving up on the bedspread she reached for the phone and said, "Sorry, dad, I just knocked something over. Are you really coming down for the weekend?"

"You bet," Hank replied. "Isn't it great?"

"That's great, dad," Buffy forced herself to answer cheerily. They talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. Buffy put her head in her hands and mumbled, "That's just great."

{present}

Buffy hadn't told her dad that Giles was living with her and Dawn yet. She wasn't even sure if her dad would know who Giles was. She had talked to her dad about Giles a lot before, but she wasn't sure if her dad would remember. Plus, how was she going to explain to her dad that not only was she dating a man his age, but she was living with him as well? At least they weren't sharing a room yet. Giles had been staying in Buffy's old room. Giles had seen what Buffy's leg looked like now, but she was still nervous about how he would react to it in bed. Giles hadn't pushed her on it and it made her love him that much more. She groaned. How was she ever going to explain this to her dad?

Giles stirred when he heard Buffy groan. "What?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Did I tell you that my dad's coming to visit?" Buffy said with false cheer in her voice.

"What?" Giles said again, instantly awake. He sat up so quickly that he almost pushed Buffy off the couch.

"Hey!" Buffy cried.

"Sorry, my dear," Giles replied and helped Buffy into a comfortable position against his side. "Now what did you say about your father?"

Buffy sighed and answered, "He's coming down on Friday to spend a long weekend with me and Dawn." It was Giles' turn to sigh. He could only imagine what Hank would think of him and none of it was good.

"Maybe I should stay with Xander and Anya while your dad is here," he said.

"But I don't want you to go," Buffy protested.

"I know," Giles said, "but it would probably be for the best. Let your father get used to me a little first."

Buffy sighed again. "I guess you're right," Buffy replied. "But are you sure you want to stay with Xander and Anya? She'll probably tell you about her orgasms every morning."

Giles shuddered and said, "Good point. I'll see if Willow and Tara have room for me."

Buffy laughed and snuggled closer to Giles. Content to just be there with him now. She would worry about her dad when he got there.


	3. The Dinner

When Buffy got back home, she washed the breakfast dishes and then began to pace nervously around the house. Just as she thought she was going to jump out of her skin, the doorbell rang. She took a deep breath and answered the door. "Hi, daddy," she greeted her father.

"Hello, sweetheart," Hank said giving his eldest daughter a big hug. Buffy led him into the house and showed him where he'd be sleeping. They went down to the kitchen and Buffy began to prepare lunch for the two of them.

"You're looking good," Hank said watching Buffy make her way around the kitchen.

Buffy smiled and said, "I'm feeling good."

"I'm glad," Hank said. "I was a little worried when you didn't come with Dawn to visit. She told me you couldn't miss your therapy, but I sensed that there was something more to it."

Buffy was glad her back was to her father when he said that. "No," Buffy lied. "I was just learning to adjust, you know, and I couldn't get away. Lunch is served."

They made small talk for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to pick up Dawn. Hank drove and got out of the car to wait. Dawn came up to the car, cried "Daddy!" and gave him a big hug. While they drove back to the house, Dawn told them all about her day. Back home they all sat in the living room talking. Dawn looked at Buffy and Buffy cleared her throat. "Dad?"

"Yes, honey?" Hank replied turning to look at his older daughter.

"Remember how you said you wanted to meet my friends?" Buffy asked.

"Of course, honey," he replied. "Am I going to get to meet them while I'm here?"

"Well, I invited them all for dinner tonight," Buffy answered. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Hank said cheerfully. "I can't wait.

"And you'll get to meet my boyfriend," Buffy blurted out before she could chicken out. Hank almost asked why Buffy hadn't mentioned him before, but realized with his absent father routine, he didn't really have the right to ask her that.

Instead he settled for saying, "Tell me about him."

Buffy took a deep breath and said, "Well, he's probably the best man I've ever met. He's sweet, kind, and forgiving. And he's really smart. He's English and, well, he's a little bit older than I am."

"He sounds like a nice boy," Hank said. He saw Buffy and Dawn exchange a look and decided to ask, "How much older?"

"Well," Buffy said. "He's probably close to your age."

"You're dating someone old enough to be your father?" Hank demanded trying to keep his temper. Buffy went over to her father, placed her hand on his knee, and looked him in the eye.

"Daddy, please give him a chance," Buffy said softly. "He's a good man and he makes me happy." Hank looked at his daughter and thought about all this. He didn't like the idea of Buffy dating someone his age, but he also remembered how over the past month his conversations with Buffy had become a lot better. She had seemed happier than she had in a long time.

He sighed and said, "All right. I'll give him a chance."

Buffy hugged her father and said, "Thank you, daddy."

"So Dawn what do you think of Buffy's boyfriend?" Hank asked.

"He's the best," Dawn said. "Of all the boyfriends she's had, he's definitely the best. They're perfect together." Buffy flashed Dawn a look of gratitude and Dawn smiled back. They talked for a little while longer and then it was time to get dinner ready. Buffy had just finished up when the doorbell rang. She went to open the door and found her father waiting in the foyer to meet her friends. Buffy sent a nervous prayer up that Giles wouldn't be first and opened the door. It was Anya and Xander. "Anya, Xander, I'd like you to meet my father. Dad, this is Xander Harris and his fiancée Anya Jenkins."

Hank and Xander shook hands. "Please to meet you Xander," Hank said. "You've been a friend of my daughters since high school right?" Buffy was surprised her father remembered that.

"Yes, sir," Xander replied. Anya said hello. Anya had promised to be on her best behavior tonight and to try and keep her comments to herself. They went into the living room to wait with Dawn. The doorbell ran again. This time it was Willow and Tara.

"Willow, Tara, I'd like you to meet my dad. Dad, this is Willow Rosenberg and her girl friend Tara Maclay." Buffy looked to see what her father's reaction would be to that.

She was surprised that he seemed to be okay with it and was even more surprised when he said, "Willow, your another one of my daughters high school friends, right?"

Willow smiled and said, "Yes, I am." Tara said hello and the two witches went and joined the others in the living room. The doorbell rang yet again and Buffy opened it eagerly expecting to see Giles.

"Spike," she said a little less enthusiastically.

"Nice to see you too, pet," replied Spike. "This must be the old man." Buffy glared at Spike and he said, "Sorry, I'll behave."

"Spike, this is my father. Dad this is Spike, he's a friend of Rupert's."

"Hello, Spike," Hank said. "That's an unusual name you've got there."

"Well, I used to be in a band," Spike replied remembering what they had told Buffy's mother so long ago. "My real name's William, but no one calls me that anymore." He then joined the others in the living room. Finally the doorbell rang again. Buffy opened the door and was greeted by a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you, Giles, that's so sweet," Buffy said taking the flowers from him. "Giles, this is my dad. Dad, this is my boyfriend, Rupert Giles."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Giles said shaking Hank's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Hank said to the distinguished English gentlemen. He turned to Buffy, "Buffy, wasn't your high school librarian named Giles?"

Buffy blushed and replied, "Yes, Giles was the librarian." Hank started to get angry, but then he remembered that they hadn't started dating until recently so he calmed down. He was determined to play nice unless given a reason otherwise. He had just gotten back into his daughters' lives and he didn't want to do anything to ruin it. "Well, now that everyone's here, why don't we eat?" Buffy said. They all went into the dining room and sat down for supper. About half way through the meal the doorbell rang again. "I wonder who that is?" Buffy said. "I thought everyone I knew was here." Buffy went to get the door.

Buffy opened the door and was shocked to see Ethan Rayne standing on her front stoop. "Where's Ripper?" Ethan said. "It's an emer…" He didn't get to finish his sentence before Buffy punched him in the face. He fell in a pile on the doorstep.

"Giles," Buffy called. "It's for you."


	4. The Unexpected Visitor

Giles moved in with Willow and Tara on Wednesday night. They had been able to afford a nice little two-bedroom apartment (this being Sunnydale and all) so Giles didn't have to sleep on a couch, for which he was very grateful. Thursday, Buffy and Giles cleaned the house and made sure all of his things had been removed. Buffy decided she wanted her dad to meet all of her friends Friday night so she invited them all over for dinner. She even invited Spike. She figured she could just tell her dad that Spike and Giles knew each other in England.

Friday morning dawned and Buffy drove Dawn to school. She had found that she had no trouble driving after the accident since she didn't really need her left leg to drive. She had been scared at first, but Giles had helped her get through it. He had also gone with her to buy a used car.

Giles was confused as to who would be here for him. He met Buffy in the foyer and asked, "Who is it?" Buffy pointed to the body on the doorstep. "What happened to him?" Giles asked.

"I hit him," Buffy admitted sheepishly. Giles just smiled at her. He could care less if she beat Ethan up.

"I suppose we should bring him inside and see what he wants," Giles said grabbing Ethan's arms and dragging him into the house.

"What about my dad?" Buffy hissed even as she grabbed Ethan's feet. Luckily, Buffy's father had his back to the foyer and didn't see what was going on. The rest of the Scooby's did though. All of them were trying very hard to act normal. Buffy and Giles saw Xander excuse himself. A few moments later he appeared.

"We can tie him up in the basement," Xander whispered. "I got some rope out of the closet and brought a chair down there."

"Good thinking," Buffy whispered. "You better get back before my dad suspects something." Xander nodded and headed back. Spike showed up right after Xander left.

"Your dad's getting curious," Spike said softly. "Why don't you go back and I'll help Giles take care of this." Buffy gave Spike a grateful look and headed back to the dining room.

"Is everything all right, honey?" Hank asked when she came back.

"Yeah, dad," she said trying to come up with a story as quickly as possible. "That was Rupert's brother." The Scooby's all gave her funny looks, but she pretended not to notice. What did they want her to say? That an old enemy of theirs had decided to pay a visit?

"Will he be joining us?" Hank asked, anxious to meet this man's family.

"Umm…not tonight," Buffy replied hurriedly. "He just got in from England and he's tired. He just stopped by to get a key to Rupert's so he could get into the apartment." Dawn was amazed at how well her sister had learned to lie. Buffy was saved from any more questions when Spike and Giles returned.

"How's your brother?" Hank asked. Giles shot a confused look at Buffy, but figured it out when he saw the pleading look in her eyes.

"Oh, he's fine," Giles managed to get out. He didn't want to contradict anything that Buffy had already said. Dinner settled down after that. After supper, Hank excused himself and said good night, saying that it had been a long day.

As soon as they heard Hank shut the bedroom door, they all quietly trooped down to the basement. Ethan had woken up a while ago, but had been unable to call out because of the gag Spike had shoved in his mouth. Buffy reached over and pulled it out saying, "I though you were in Nevada, Ethan."

"Yes, well it seems once the Initiative was disbanded, the government didn't know what to do with me," Ethan replied.

"So they just let you go?" Willow asked horrified.

"Unfortunately, no," Ethan answered. "Somehow the Watcher's Council found out about them holding me and offered to take me off of their hands."

"The Watcher's Council had you in their custody for over a year?" Giles asked surprised. "I didn't know that."

"Not many Watcher's did," Ethan replied. "Quentin was the one who arranged to take me from the government. I was his own special project. Unfortunately for him, I refused to cooperate."

"So how did you get away?" Buffy asked.

"Quentin is stupid, my dear," Ethan said to her. "It was only a matter of time before I could get away."

"Fine," Buffy said, "but why come here where you know you'll just get your ass kicked."

Ethan shrugged and answered, "I wanted to see if it was true."

"What was true?" Buffy asked.

"Your leg," Ethan replied and grinned when she took a step back. His grin faded quickly though when Ripper got in his face.

"And what does it matter to you?" Giles growled. Ethan quickly turned serious.

"Because if it's true then she," nodding his head towards Buffy, "is in trouble."

"What do you know?" Giles demanded. So Ethan told his tale. He told them how he had heard Quentin and Nigel talking about the liability of a one-legged Slayer. He told them how Quentin had come to him for help with his plan. He told them how he had refused, managed to escape, and ended up on Buffy's doorstep.

"And we're supposed to believe that you're here to help?" Buffy asked incredulously.

Ethan looked her in the eye and replied seriously, "Yes. I like chaos and giving you and Ripper a hard time, but that doesn't mean I want to see the two of you dead. Besides what would I do if I didn't have you two around to bother?" He flashed a quick grin. "If you don't believe me, you can always do a truth spell."

Buffy looked at Giles to see what he thought. Giles sighed. "I'm afraid he's probably telling the truth," he said. "Ethan's not a particularly good liar and he doesn't stand for much pain, which he knew he would most likely find here." Buffy sighed. She didn't need this right now.

"Can I get untied now?" Ethan asked. Buffy looked at Giles. She didn't have anywhere to put him while her father was here.

"The wanker can stay with me," Spike said.

"I'd prefer to stay with the living, if you don't mind," Ethan said. Buffy sighed again.

"Xander, can Ethan stay on your couch until my father leaves?" Buffy asked. It was Xander's turn to sigh.

"Fine," he said. They untied Ethan and he left with Xander and Anya. Willow and Tara also said good night and left. Spike said he'd do a patrol before he headed back to his crypt and left. Dawn said good night and went upstairs. That left Buffy and Giles alone in the living room.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Buffy said.

"I wish I didn't have to go either," Giles replied. "It's only for a few more days." They shared a long kiss goodnight. Buffy sighed and went to bed. The gang would start researching tomorrow.


	5. The Brother?

Buffy went downstairs the next morning to find Dawn and her dad already eating breakfast. "Good morning, honey," said her dad.

"Morning, dad," Buffy replied pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "I have a therapy session this morning. Normally I would have had it yesterday, but they asked if they could reschedule. I thought maybe Dawn could show you around Sunnydale and then I could meet you guys for lunch."

"Sure," Hank said. "Why don't you invite Rupert and his brother to meet us as well?"

Buffy almost choked on her orange juice. "Sure, dad," Buffy replied forcing herself to smile. They finished breakfast and Buffy had her dad drive her to the hospital. She figured she'd have Giles pick her up on the way to lunch. She said good-bye to her father and Dawn and agreed to meet them at Pete's Pizza at 12:30.

Therapy went smoothly and she got out to find Giles sitting in his car waiting for her with Ethan sitting in the back seat. She got in and shut the door. "This is a very bad idea," Giles said, without looking at her.

"Well," Buffy said, not really sure what to say. Instead she turned around and glared at Ethan. "You'd better behave yourself," she told him.

"I'll be on my best behavior," Ethan promised. When Buffy continued to glare at him he added, "I prefer to keep my body parts intact, thank you." That seemed to pacify the Slayer as she turned back around in her seat.

She laced her fingers through Giles' and said quietly, "Thank you for doing this."

Giles looked over at her and smiled softly, "Just another day on the Hellmouth." Buffy laughed and they exchanged a grin before Giles brought his eyes back to the road. Ethan was torn between disgust at how perfect they were for each other and the fact that they were perfect together. He didn't know what was happening to him. Helping Ripper and his Slayer. He just shook his head.

All too quickly for Buffy, they were at the pizza place. She sighed and said, "Let's get this over with." They got out of the car and headed inside. Buffy spotted Dawn waving them over to a booth. "Where's dad?" she asked.

"He's ordering the pizzas," Dawn replied. "I told him what everyone liked." Just then Hank came back.

He spotted Ethan and said, "You must be Rupert's brother. Hank Summers. Pleased to meet you."

Ethan shook Hank's hand and said, "Ethan Rayne. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Hank looked confused and questioned, "You have different last names?"

Buffy glared at Ethan. She thought quickly. "They're step-brothers," she said quickly. Hank smiled and nodded. Their number was called out. Buffy went up and helped Hank bring the pizzas to the table. They ate in silence for a while. It was Hank who finally broke the silence.

"So, Rupert, tell me about yourself," he said.

Giles swallowed and began, "Well I'm originally from Bath. I have a PhD from Oxford. I worked at the British Museum before I moved to California. I love books and wanted to pass that love onto others so I took the job of librarian at Sunnydale High. Unfortunately, when there was an accident on graduation day and the high school blew up, it left me without a job. I spent a year singing and playing my guitar at the coffee shop. When the owner of the new age shop passed away last year, I purchased the shop from his heirs. It does quite well."

Hank nodded. He was pleased that this man seemed to have his life together and wasn't just using his daughter as some mid-life fling, like he himself was guilty of doing. He turned to Ethan, "And what about yourself?"

Ethan grinned, "Well, I'm originally from London. Our parents didn't get married until we were in our late teens. I went to university for a little while, but it just wasn't for me. I'm much more of a hands-on person. I do odd jobs and I've tried my hand at a lot of different things." Hank nodded again, happy that Buffy seemed to have chosen the responsible brother. Ethan continued, "Rip…" He didn't get to finish when he felt a sharp kick in his leg. He shot a glance at Buffy who was glaring at him. He quickly cleared his throat and said, "Rupert keeps telling me that I need to settle down, but I'm just having too much fun."

The rest of the lunch passed uneventfully. As they were leaving though, Hank said, "Let's go take a look at your shop, Rupert." Buffy and Giles exchanged a glance. The gang was there, researching. It was Dawn who saved the day this time.

"I have to go to the bathroom real quick," Dawn said hurriedly, heading towards the bathroom.

"I guess we'll catch up with you then," Hank said. Buffy and Giles sighed in relief and hurried to the car with Ethan behind them.


	6. The Abduction

Quentin and Nigel, along with eight other Watchers, arrived in Sunnydale on Thursday night. They settled in at the Sunnydale Motor Inn and decided to begin their surveillance the next morning.

Quentin and Nigel sent the others out to keep an eye on everyone while they stayed at the motel to "strategize". When Quentin was informed of Ethan Rayne's arrival at the Summers' house that night he was outraged. "That bastard," Quentin muttered, knocking over a nightstand.

"Calm down," Nigel said. "We still have Smith."

Quentin glared at Nigel, "Smith is nowhere near as competent as Rayne." Nigel wisely chose to remain quiet after that. They were just waiting for the right opportunity to make their move.

That opportunity presented itself on Saturday afternoon. When Quentin got word that Hank and Dawn were headed back to the Summers' house by themselves, he, Nigel, and four other Watchers headed over there. They managed to get to the house just as the pair was exiting the car. Dawn saw them first. "What are you doing here, Mr. Davis?" Dawn asked coldly. She didn't like the looks of the group that was with Nigel.

When he heard Dawn speak, Hank looked up and was surprised to find that they were surrounded by a group of six men. "You know these men, Dawn?" Hank asked surprised. Before she could reply one of the Watchers hit Hank over the head with the butt of a gun and Hank sank to the ground, unconscious.

"Dad!" Dawn screamed. Nigel quickly clamped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. Angrily, Dawn bit down hard.

"Bloody bitch!" Nigel yelled, pulling his hand away. Quentin sighed and pulled a needle out of his pocket. He rapidly injected the girl. Dawn turned to look at him before dropping silently to the ground. "Get them in the truck and hurry," Quentin ordered the four other Watchers. Going through both of their pockets, Quentin found what he was looking for. Giving the Watchers some final instructions, Quentin and Nigel then let themselves into Buffy's house to wait for her return.


	7. The Research

Buffy sighed and shut the book she was looking through. Her dad and Dawn hadn't stayed at the shop long. He had taken a quick look around and then they had gone home. As soon as they had gone, the others had returned to the front of the store and resumed research. "This is pointless," she said in frustration. "It's not like the Watcher's put their plans in some book." Giles, who was sitting next to her at the table, rubbed her back soothingly.

"I realize that," he replied, "but we're looking more for spells that we can use against them."

Standing abruptly Buffy said, "I should be training." She marched into the back and slammed the door. All eyes turned to Giles as he sighed and followed his Slayer into the back. He knew she was just nervous about what was going to happen. Cautiously opening the door, Giles peeked into the training room. Buffy was wailing away at the punching bag as though her life depended on it. She spun on her good leg and kicked the bag with her prosthetic limb. She wobbled, but managed to catch her balance on the bag before she fell.

"You're getting pretty good at that," Giles commented mildly. Buffy spun around at his voice, surprised that she hadn't heard him come in. She shrugged.

"That's the point right," she replied. Giles went to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"It'll be all right," he said.

"You don't know that," Buffy replied, her voice muffled against his chest. He tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes.

"We will get through this like we get through everything, together," he said. Buffy smiled, leaned up and kissed him.

**************

Willow's eyes were getting bleary from staring at the computer screen for so long. It seemed that the Watcher's had finally figured out that there software was incredibly simple to hack into and had beefed up their security. It wasn't anything Willow couldn't break; it was just taking longer than she had thought it would. Suddenly the screen shifted. She was in! Everyone looked up when Willow started making her excited, "Ooh! Ooh!" noises.

"What did you find, sweetie?" her girlfriend asked.

"Go get Buffy and Giles," Willow said excitedly. Xander stood and went in back.

"Do you guys ever stop?" he complained. Buffy and Giles broke apart. Giles flushed slightly with embarrassment, but Buffy just laughed.

"I can't help it, Xand," she replied. "He's just so irresistible."

"Well, if you could pry yourselves apart for a minute, Willow's found something." The pair quickly followed Xander into the main room.

"What've you got, Will?" Buffy asked, eager for any news about the Watchers.

"Well, it looks like our friends Quentin and Nigel arrived in LA on Thursday. Judging from the other tickets booked on that flight I'd say they have at least eight others with them," she replied. Buffy did some quick calculating in her head.

"Well then, it's the ten of us versus the ten of them," she said. "That shouldn't be too hard, right? You said they were in LA Thursday. Do you know where they are now?"

Willow nodded. "They checked into the Sunnydale Motor Inn the same night."

"They're already in Sunnydale?" Buffy asked with just a tinge of panic in her voice. "They've been here for two days already? Why haven't we seen or heard from them yet?" Giles was also concerned about this news.

"They must be waiting for something," he said.

"All right," Buffy said. "From now on, no one goes anywhere by themselves." Everyone nodded their agreement. "Oh, no!" she cried suddenly. "Dad and Dawn are home alone right now."

"I'm sure they're fine," Willow tried to reassure her friend. "I mean they're at home."

"I don't like it," Buffy replied. "Ethan, you stay here with Xander and Anya since you're staying with them, the rest of you, come with me. Giles can drop me off at home and then you guys can go back to your place."

"Maybe I should stay with you tonight," Giles said, not liking the idea of leaving Buffy alone. She was getting better with her fighting skills, but she still had a ways to go.

Buffy shook her head, "No. Dad will wonder why and I want to keep him out of this if I can. He'll be gone Monday morning, so hopefully the Watcher's won't make their move until then. I'll ask Spike to check out the motel tonight." With that Giles and the three girls headed out to the car.

Willow and Tara were talking quietly in back trying to ignore the mini-argument that was going on up front. "I really think it would be better if I stayed tonight," Giles reiterated.

Buffy sighed. "I know and I would love to have you there, but I really think that this is for the best. Please just trust me on this." Giles looked at her pleading eyes and knew that he had lost. He had always found it nearly impossible to say no to her. Sighing Giles just nodded his acquiescence. Buffy smiled. "You're the bestest boyfriend ever, you know that?"

Giles couldn't help but laugh. "I bloody well hope so." In the backseat Willow and Tara exchanged a smile. In no time at all they were pulling up in front of the Summers' house. Buffy reached over and gave Giles a quick kiss before getting out.

"I'll call you tonight," she promised before shutting the door. Giles watched her walk up to the front door. As she opened the door, she waved back at him. As soon as the door was closed, he pulled away. He knew she could take care of herself, but he couldn't shelve the misgivings in his mind that something bad was going to happen.


	8. The Second Abduction

"I'm home," Buffy called upon entering the house. Puzzled, she shut the door behind her. The house was so quiet. Walking into the living room, she froze. Sitting there were Quentin and Nigel. "Where is my family?" Buffy demanded, immediately concerned.

"They're safe," Quentin replied. "And will remain so as long as you come with us." Buffy did some quick thinking. She needed to know where Dawn and her dad were and if they were okay.

Sighing, Buffy replied, "Fine. But can I at least get my crutches? My leg is killing me." She walked over to them, limping as she went.

Quentin smirked at Nigel and said, "Go get them." Nigel went upstairs and grabbed them. Once she had her crutches, Buffy was lead out to her father's car and blindfolded.

****************

Not much time passed before Buffy felt the car stop and heard Quentin and Nigel get out. One of them came around to her door and opened it. Bringing her crutches out first, she reluctantly accepted the hand she felt so she could get out. Realizing that Buffy wouldn't be able to get inside while blindfolded Quentin took it off. Buffy blinked and looked around. Barking out a laugh she said, "You had to blindfold me to bring me to the mansion?"

"Well we weren't going to remove the blindfold until you were inside," Nigel blustered.

Buffy stared at him incredulously. "And you think I wouldn't have recognized the inside? You guys are dumber than I thought." That comment cost her a blow to the face from Nigel.

"I'd refrain from any more comments, Miss Summers," Quentin commented, leading them through the door. "It will only cause you more discomfort and possibly cause pain to your family." Buffy glared at him for threatening her family, but kept her mouth shut. She had to make sure that Dawn and her dad were all right. When they entered, her gaze immediately fell on her family. They were bound hand and foot and they were gagged, but didn't appear to be hurt.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked and they both nodded their heads. She saw the confusion in her father's eyes and knew that once this was all over, she was going to have to explain things to him.

"Take a seat, Miss Summers," Quentin said, gesturing to the chair by her sister. "If you keep your mouth shut I won't gag you, but if you get on my nerves, in it goes." Buffy nodded in understanding and laid her crutches against the wall. She sank into the chair that the Watchers had provided for her. Quentin and Nigel left the room and Buffy took stock of the three Watchers who were left to stand guard. Now that she was sitting, she took the opportunity to take a closer look at her dad and Dawn, to assure herself that they were all right. She noticed that Dawn was gazing steadily at her.

When she had finally caught Buffy's eye, Dawn began to nod her head at her left leg. Buffy was confused for a moment, but then her eyes got large. Dawn read the question in her eyes and nodded to let her know that she still had it. Buffy smiled and nodded back. Letting Dawn know that she understood. Obviously the Watcher's hadn't thought that Dawn or her dad would be armed, so they hadn't even bothered to check them for weapons. A while back, Buffy had given Dawn a slim dagger with a holder that could be attached to her ankle, so Dawn would have some protection. Apparently, Dawn still had it on her. They had already taken all of Buffy's weapons. [At least, the ones they found,] she thought to herself, rolling her eyes at the Watchers' stupidity. [At least I can use that to my advantage.] And now she would be able to use Dawn's dagger to cut through their bindings when the time came. She knew Giles would begin searching for them in a couple of hours when she didn't call. She figured the Scoobies would find them by tomorrow afternoon. [And then,] she thought. [Then I'll kick a little Watcher ass.] She settled herself more comfortably in the chair, knowing that she'd be there for awhile.


	9. The Plan

Through out dinner, Willow and Tara had tried to engage Giles in conversation, but he had been too distracted. Now he paced around the small living room. He was worried. He hadn't wanted to leave the three Summers at the house by themselves and he had had a bad feeling ever since he had driven away. It was after nine and Buffy still hadn't called. He had decided to give her another hour before he called her, but his patience had worn out. Picking up the phone, he rapidly dialed her number. After the sixth ring, Giles hung up the phone. "Willow, Tara," he called, pulling on his jacket. "There's no answer at Buffy's. I'm going over there." The girls quickly hurried into the room.

"We'll go with you," Willow said. "If something's happened, we can help." Giles nodded and grabbed his keys from the table. The three hurried out the door and to the car. Breaking every speed limit, Giles drove to Buffy's; gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles had turned white. He pulled into the driveway, stopped, and ran for the door, barely taking the time to notice that Hank's car was missing. He reached the front door and threw it open. "Buffy!" he called. "Dawn!"

"Maybe they went out," Willow said, unconvincingly. "I mean Mr. Summers' car is gone."

"No," Giles said shaking his head. "Buffy wouldn't have risked them all going out at night, even without the Watcher's being here. Besides, she would have called me." The witches nodded their agreement.

"I'll call Xander and Spike and have everyone meet us at the Magic Box," Willow said, heading for the phone.

"We'll find them," Tara said, trying to reassure Giles. He just nodded, not feeling any better. He was too busy kicking himself. He knew he should have stayed.

***************

Within the hour, the gang had gathered. Willow and Tara were preparing a locater spell while Giles anxiously paced the shop. Putting a hand on Giles' shoulder, Ethan said, "Calm down, Ripper. We'll find her." Giles turned to Ethan in surprise. This new, helpful Ethan took a little getting used to.

"I'm sorry, Giles. They've got someone blocking us. I could try and break through but…" Willow trailed off. She had been working with the coven for a while, but she was nervous about trying anything too powerful yet.

"I'll do it," Ethan said smiling. "This should be fun."

"Ethan, don't do anything stupid," Giles warned. "We don't want them to know that we broke their spell."

"You're no fun," Ethan replied, but nodded and began chanting over the map the witches had spread on the floor. Suddenly a red dot began to glow on it. Willow bent down to get a closer look.

"They're at the mansion!" she cried. Giles went in back, grabbed a sword, and headed for the door.

"Yo, G-man," Xander said, grabbing his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to get Buffy," he replied, removing Xander's hand from his arm. "And don't call me that."

"Giles wait," Willow said. "We need to make a plan."

"I have a plan. I'm going to kick their arses," he replied and again made for the door. When he tried to walk through it, however, he found himself blocked by an invisible force field. "Ethan," he growled. "Let me out."

"I don't think so, Ripper," Ethan said. "We're all going to go, but not until we make a plan." Giles sighed in defeat and turned back to the others. "Good boy," Ethan said, ignoring the glare Giles shot him. "Now here's what I'm thinking, by the time we get everything together it'll be morning, so that's when we attack."

"What about me, mate?" Spike spoke up. "Can't exactly help if I'm a pile of dust."

"You won't be any help anyways since you can't hit the Watchers. They're human remember?" Ethan said. "That's why I want you to go through the sewers. Then, while we're distracting the Watcher's, you can free Buffy and her family and get them out of there." Spike nodded and Ethan continued, "Anya, you should probably go with him in case any of them are hurt and need help. Xander and Giles will lead the attack while the girls and I work some magic." The others nodded their agreement and began their preparations.


	10. The Rescue

Buffy and Dawn had taken turns keeping watch throughout the night, since neither of them trusted the Watchers. Buffy had been on watch since sunrise and was just waiting for something to happen. She looked over at her dad and Dawn, who were still sleeping. If anything happened to them, there would be hell to pay. All of a sudden she heard Willow's voice in her head, [Buffy, we're outside. Make sure the three of you are ready to go.] Buffy quickly nudged Dawn awake and gestured for her to do the same for their dad. Keeping an eye on the Watchers in the doorway, Buffy leaned down and slowly pulled the dagger from Dawn's pants. She was careful to keep it out of the Watchers line of sight, not that they were paying any attention to their three prisoners. Buffy quickly sliced through the bindings that held her sister. Dawn took the knife from her and did the same for their father. Dawn then watched her sister for the sign that she knew would come.

As soon as the fog started rolling into the room, Buffy gestured for them to get up. She was just about to lead them from the room when Spike and Anya appeared in one of the doorways; Anya knocking the guard out with the baseball bat that she carried. Buffy could hear the sounds of fighting coming from the other room. Turning to Spike she said, "Get my family out of here."

"You're coming with us, too, Slayer," Spike said.

Buffy shook her head and grabbed one of her crutches. "Nope. I've got some business to take care of."

"Watcher's not going to like this," Spike argued. "He said to get the three of you out."

"I'll deal with Giles," Buffy replied, pressing the release mechanism on her crutch and pulling out her own dagger. "You just get my family out of here." Spike nodded and he and Anya herded her family back the way they had come.

***************

Quentin was outraged. He didn't know how things had gotten out of control so quickly. One minute he was fast asleep, the next, all hell had broken loose. At first, it had just been a thick fog spreading throughout the mansion. Then the fighting had begun. He had recognized Buffy's little group of followers before the fog had concealed them. "Check on the prisoners!" he yelled.

Buffy was just sneaking up on the other guard when she heard Quentin issue his command. The guard turned around and was surprised to find Buffy almost directly behind him. Without thinking, Buffy spun on her good leg and kicked up with her prosthetic. Her aim was as good as ever, as her foot went into his face, sending him to the ground. Unfortunately, the kick had thrown her off balance and she wasn't prepared for the Watcher that came in behind her guard. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at her.

Buffy was trying to figure out how to get out of her current situation when a blur from the next room crashed into the Watcher. Xander and the Watcher fought for a minute before the burly Watcher managed to throw him against the wall. Buffy watched in horror as Xander slid to the ground and didn't move. "Xander!" she cried, hurrying over to him, thankfully finding a pulse. The Watcher was approaching her again, when suddenly he dropped to the floor. Looking up in surprise, Buffy found Willow and Tara standing in the doorway. Giving a relieved sigh, Buffy said, "Am I glad to see you guys."

"Is he okay?" Willow asked anxiously.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Why don't the two of you get him out of here through the sewers? I'll go get the boys."

Willow nodded as she and Tara began trying to get Xander off the ground. "There are only Travers, Nigel, and about two others left standing," she said.

"Thanks," Buffy said and crept towards the door again. Peering into the next room, she quickly threw the dagger she still held in her hand. One of the Watchers had been sneaking up on Giles, but Buffy's dagger slid into his shoulder causing him to cry out in pain. Giles spun around and clubbed him on the head with the hilt of the sword. Looking back to where the dagger had come from he gave a frustrated sigh at seeing Buffy there. He should have known she wouldn't just leave. Seeing that Ethan was busy keeping Smith from doing any harmful spells, he looked at the only other Watchers that remained standing: Quentin and Nigel.

"Well, well," Quentin said. "Isn't this interesting?" Before he had finished his sentence, he had his gun out and pointed at Buffy's head. Seeing Giles ready to rush at him, he continued, "Move and the girl dies." Giles froze knowing he would never reach Buffy in time. "This is just too perfect. I get to rid myself of a very problematic Slayer and I get the pleasure of seeing you watch her die."

Giles noticed a movement of the corner of his eye. "Quentin, let's talk about this," he said, trying to distract him. He caught Buffy's eye and barely twitched his head in Ethan's direction. Ethan had managed to finish off the magic-wielding Watcher and was busy working on another spell to help Buffy out. Buffy watched in amazement as the gun in Quentin's hand slowly began to dematerialize. Just as Quentin had figured out something was wrong, Buffy quickly ducked and aimed a punch at his midsection. Quentin groaned in agony. Before Buffy could do anything else Nigel had advanced on her with a sharp looking knife. He didn't have it for long. Buffy was a blur of motion as she easily knocked the knife from his hand and began beating him senseless.

"This is for being a lousy Watcher!" she yelled as she broke his noise. "This is for making me bleed!" A bone in his arm was snapped. "This is for making me do whatever you said!" He groaned when she got in a punch to the kidneys. "And this is for kidnapping me and my family!" Reaching down, she grabbed his crotch and gave it a sharp twist. Nigel fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

Quentin grimaced from his spot on the floor. He tried to get up to help Nigel, but Giles lazily held his sword against Quentin's neck, discouraging him from moving. "Are you done?" Giles asked her mildly.

Turning to Giles she grinned sheepishly, "Yeah. What are we going to do with them?"

"Don't worry," Ethan spoke up. "I'll take care of them."

"What do you mean by 'take care of them'?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

Ethan gave an aggrieved sigh. "Doesn't anyone trust me?" Seeing the twin glares he received he continued, "I'm not going to kill them. I'm just going to chaperone them back to the Watcher's Council. Ripper here has already called and informed them of Quentin's actions. They will have a quick trial followed by a long imprisonment."

"Good," Buffy said, moving to be near Giles. He pulled her to him and held her tight. "Let's go meet everyone at the Magic Box," Buffy said. "I want to make sure my dad and Dawn are okay and I think I'm going to have to explain some stuff to my dad." Giles nodded and led her out of the mansion, leaving Ethan to deal with the Watchers.


	11. One Month Later

{One Month Later}

Buffy gazed lovingly around the table at her family. She was glad that she was finally able to include her father as family again. Right now, he was listening attentively to Dawn talk about her week at school. It had only been a month since Quentin and his cronies had tried to kill her, but it felt like it had been much longer than that.

As soon as Buffy and Giles had arrived at the Magic Box, her sister had embraced her. Her father, of course, had demanded an explanation. She and Giles had decided on the way over that they would tell him about the slaying. It seemed pointless to try and hide it at this point. He had been incredulous at first, not wanting to believe it. Even after she, Spike, and Willow had given demonstrations of their abilities, he still wasn't sure. He had said that he needed time to think and had gone back to LA that afternoon. Buffy hadn't really expected to hear from him again after that, so she was quite surprised when he had called that next weekend. They had talked for a long time and Hank had finally come to accept it. He had also taken to visiting more often and was even considering finding a place in Sunnydale.

Buffy was interrupted from her reverie with the ringing of the doorbell. "Why is he always late?" she asked Giles, blaming him for his friends tardiness.

"What do you expect?" Giles replied, rising to get the door. Buffy just sighed in exasperation.

"Sorry I'm late," Ethan said entering the dining room.

"Why can't you ever be on time?" Buffy demanded, glaring at him. "The food is getting cold."

"I just don't have it in me to be on time," Ethan replied as he and Giles sat down. Buffy was forced to admit that when Ethan wasn't trying to wreak havoc in their lives, he wasn't such a bad guy. He had shown up again about a week after transporting the Watchers back to England. He had informed them gleefully, that they were locked up and would stay that way for a very long time. Then for some reason, Ethan decided to stick around and Buffy begrudgingly found herself becoming friends with him. She was glad he had stuck around though, because having Ethan around seemed to make Giles happy. And anything that made Giles happy was pretty much okay in her book.

With the arrival of the final guest, everyone dug in to the dinner that Buffy had prepared. Voices rose and fell as different conversations cropped up around the table. Instead of joining in like she usually did, Buffy just sat back and smiled, content to watch her family enjoying themselves. Turning her head, she noticed Giles watching her, his green eyes sparkling. "Whatcha looking at, Watcher-mine?" she asked softly.

"You," he replied, just as softly. "You just looked so peaceful."

Buffy looked around the table before answering, "I am. I really am." She grinned brightly at him and he couldn't help, but smile back. She had come so far from the broken girl he had found after her resurrection. Looking around the table himself, he couldn't remember a time when he had been happier.

Dinner ended and their friends dispersed. Giles was surprised when Dawn left with Hank and he turned to Buffy questioningly. Smiling up at him, Buffy said, "Dawn's going to spend the weekend with Dad in LA. We have the whole house to ourselves." Smiling at the thought, Giles leaned down and kissed her. When they finally pulled apart, they were both gasping for air. "Take me to bed," Buffy said huskily. Giles looked at her in surprise. Buffy had been very self-conscious about her missing leg so they had yet to go any farther than just kissing and cuddling.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking into her eyes and seeing the unconcealed passion in them.

"Positive," she said pulling him down for another mind-numbing kiss. Giles picked her up and Buffy automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. Tearing his mouth from hers so he could see, he carried her upstairs.

*************

Later, Buffy sighed in contentment as she snuggled closer to Giles, who tightened his grip on her. She hadn't been sure how Giles would react to her missing leg. Her head had known that he wouldn't care, but she had been unable to convince her heart of that. When Giles had seen it, he had simply kissed it and told her she was beautiful. Seeing the love and desire in his eyes had washed away the last of her doubt. Lying here in his arms, she knew that things wouldn't always be this perfect; she was still the Slayer and this was still the Hellmouth, but for now, it was enough.

********************************

AN: I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews. I hope you all enjoyed 'Return of the Watcher'. There _might_ end up being a third story to this series, but currently it's nothing more than a vague idea in the back of my head. Thanks again for reading!


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